Nintendo 3DS Priced So High Thanks to Media, Says Nintendo

When Nintendo showed off the 3DS, the handheld gaming console that would let you play 3D games without the need of glasses (and letting you turn it off whenever you want, too), there general consensus was a good one. It seemed, even if Nintendo didn't have an exact time frame for a launch date (at the time, which they've recently fixed), that the company had a winner on their hands. But, immediately following the announcement, and with Nintendo cleverly not including a price tag, the questions began circulating: how much would it cost. Well, it seems Nintendo didn't have a clear idea either, at the time, but thanks to the positive reports from this year's E3, and the subsequent "gushing" from the media regarding the device, Nintendo made up their mind. And it was a pricey decision.

Nintendo made it clear that the 3DS is a crowning achievement for the company at is unveiling, and while many may have thought that the device would be expensive, that was out-stripped by the fact that this was Nintendo, and releasing expensive consoles was something they seemed pretty good at avoiding. But, when they announced that the mobile console would launch in Japan for roughly $300, the collective mass all watched as one another's eye brows shot up. The Nintendo 3DS, packing (probably) a ridiculous amount of technology into the small package, is the most expensive console the company has ever released. And that's including home consoles, like the Wii, or even the GameCube of yesteryear.

Satoru Iwata, Nintendo's boss, says that there were many factors that went into the pricing decision for the 3DS, but in the end, it simply came down to the positive feedback they were hearing all over the place. From both reporters and readers. Thanks to the positive spin, Nintendo decided that a high price point was perfectly fine for the 3DS, and that it would be bought up regardless. There's no doubt that the 3DS is impressive, but do you think that the high price tag is the right path for Nintendo to take? Let us know in the comments.